Week of Guided Prayer, Skerries – 1st to 7th March 2015

Week of Guided Prayer in Skerries Parish from Sun 1st March to Sat 7th March.

We have a number of trained spiritual guides coming to the parish who will be available to meet with parishioners on a one-to-one basis from Mon to Fri. Registration forms available in the Parish Office. All forms must be returned by Sun 15th Feb 2015.

What is a week of Guided Prayer?

This is a retreat with a difference – sometimes called a ‘Retreat in Daily Life’, or a ‘Busy Person’s Retreat’, as you don’t have to go away to a quiet, beautiful place to find God. It is a way of making a retreat in the midst of daily living, as by taking some quiet time each day on your own you are enabled to find God in your everyday life, in all its ups and downs.

Participants are invited to do two things every day for the week. Firstly, to spend half an hour in personal prayer at home, and secondly, to meet with a prayer guide for half an hour at an agreed time each day. The prayer guides will accompany you and guide you each day with short texts from the scriptures. You do not need to have any previous knowledge. There is a group session for all participants and prayer guides on the Sunday at the beginning of the week and on the Saturday at the end of the week.

What happens during the week?

You meet as a group on the first night Sunday of the week. You are allocated a personal prayer guide and have a short meeting with them that night. You meet with them for 30 minutes each day from Monday to Friday on a one to one basis at a time and location convenient to you both. The full group comes together on the following Saturday evening to bring the week to a prayerful close.

Who are the prayer guides?

The guides are lay men and women, religious sisters, brothers and priests who are trained and qualified in spiritual guidance and experienced to help people in their prayer life. They are not from the parish.

How do you take part?

As places are limited, you will need to register for this in advance. Forms are made available in the parish about four weeks before the week of prayer commences.